Vandals desecrate WWII memorial to Soviet soldiers in Moldova

July 23, 2012, 22:15 UTC+3The incident caused great pubic response in Moldovan society. Several parties and public organization condemned the act of vandalism on Monday

Share

1 pages in this article

CHISINAU, July 23 (Itar-Tass) — Authorities in the Moldovan city of Beltsy decided on Monday that volunteer police brigades would guard a WWII memorial to Soviet soldiers round-the-clock after vandals had desecrated it last night. Unidentified persons drew the swastika of pro-Romanian Nazi groups on the pedestal of the legendary T-34 tank which was installed in the city center in honor of the liberators.

“Soldiers buried at the memorial are honorary citizens of our town. The vandals spat in the face of all town folks,” the city’s Vice-Mayor Octavian Maxu told journalists.

The incident caused great pubic response in Moldovan society. Several parties and public organization condemned the act of vandalism on Monday. The Moldovan Union of Officers demanded that the Moldovan government take investigation under special control and punish the vandals.

There have been several similar acts of vandalism in Moldova in recent months.

“A memorial to 18 Heroes of the Soviet Union near the Gura-Bykulai village has been desecrated and destroyed quite recently. The memorial was erected in memory of soldiers who liberated the village during the war. Many of them received their hero titles posthumously,” parliamentary deputy Vadim Mishin, the chairman of the Moldovan Union of Officers, said.

He believes the vandals have an aim to split Moldovan society and push it towards civilian stand-off.